Marina plan draws new business to downtown

Fred Freeman, owner of Adventure Diving, talks about the inventory in his new Panama City shop on Tuesday.

Andrew Wardlow / The News Herald

By Zack McDonald / The News Herald

Published: Thursday, January 23, 2014 at 09:05 AM.

PANAMA CITY — Businesses geared toward the activities of the redeveloped marina are beginning to surface in the downtown area.

Originally based in northern Bay County, Adventure Diving is the most recent business to file a license with the city to explicitly complement the Marina Redevelopment Project. The business plans to open in April and, in coordination with the city, eventually develop a beach-accessible snorkeling reef, according to owner Fred Freeman.

“We heard about plans for the marina, and that is why we came down,” Freeman said. “We’re trying to design something that is just as much for the locals as it is for the tourists.”

Adventure Diving, to be located on the back portion of 111 W. Beach Drive, is a dive shop offering tank and rig service and specializes in scuba training and diving certification.

Stem to Stern, a boat service and marine consignment shop, occupies the front portion of the building and also moved downtown to complement the marina project, according to Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Director William Whitson.

Time Management, a vintage clock and watch repair and retail store on Harrison Avenue, also came on board to capitalize on the marina project, and plans for the marina did not hurt in convincing iSirona to stay in Bay County either, Whitson said. Freeman did not have a set date to begin operations of Adventure Diving, but he said one goal of the business is to become an asset to the community by offering educational courses to local schools and churches interested in diving or using diving to study marine biology.

Open-water scuba classes cost $350 for certification and there is no time limit or set schedule for classes. Freeman said dives are scheduled by appointment.

PANAMA CITY — Businesses geared toward the activities of the redeveloped marina are beginning to surface in the downtown area.

Originally based in northern Bay County, Adventure Diving is the most recent business to file a license with the city to explicitly complement the Marina Redevelopment Project. The business plans to open in April and, in coordination with the city, eventually develop a beach-accessible snorkeling reef, according to owner Fred Freeman.

“We heard about plans for the marina, and that is why we came down,” Freeman said. “We’re trying to design something that is just as much for the locals as it is for the tourists.”

Adventure Diving, to be located on the back portion of 111 W. Beach Drive, is a dive shop offering tank and rig service and specializes in scuba training and diving certification.

Stem to Stern, a boat service and marine consignment shop, occupies the front portion of the building and also moved downtown to complement the marina project, according to Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Director William Whitson.

Time Management, a vintage clock and watch repair and retail store on Harrison Avenue, also came on board to capitalize on the marina project, and plans for the marina did not hurt in convincing iSirona to stay in Bay County either, Whitson said.
Freeman did not have a set date to begin operations of Adventure Diving, but he said one goal of the business is to become an asset to the community by offering educational courses to local schools and churches interested in diving or using diving to study marine biology.

Open-water scuba classes cost $350 for certification and there is no time limit or set schedule for classes. Freeman said dives are scheduled by appointment.

Because of the proximity to the city’s canoe and kayak launch area, the snorkeling park project made sense, not just for the dive business, but also to the CRA and marina directors, who plan on assisting in clearing the property of overgrowth and removing vagrant campsites near the property.

Though a snorkel reef has been in marina redevelopment plans for years, Whitson said having a commercial entity with a mutual interest in the attraction is beneficial to the city.

“It’s exciting, but like in the first quarter of any football game, you need to play for the long term,” Whitson said. “There is still time yet.”